Three young adults are now facing serious felony charges after a Christmas Eve shooting near 53rd and Center that left an 18-year-old man hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the face. Prosecutors say the attack is connected to an armed carjacking just days earlier, when the same victim was forced to hand over cash, a Rolex and his running car. The suspects — 21-year-old Anthony Gatlin, 20-year-old Harleem Trammell and 19-year-old Montaviah Love — are charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, armed carjacking and armed robbery, according to court records, as reported by FOX6 Milwaukee.
Charges And Court Status
Court filings list all three defendants as parties to the same three felony counts and state that prosecutors believe the incidents are connected. Bond was set at $50,000 for Gatlin and Love and $10,000 for Trammell, and records show all three are scheduled to return to court next month. The arraignments follow an investigation by Milwaukee police and the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, which is pursuing the attempted-homicide counts as the most serious charges in the case, according to FOX6 Milwaukee.
Shooting Scene And Victim's Injuries
According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police were first called to a hospital on Dec. 24, where the 18-year-old victim was being treated after the shooting. Investigators later processed the scene near the barbershop and recovered roughly 20 bullet casings, two bullet fragments and a plastic bottle. Officers reported that gunfire struck the victim's car and at least one other vehicle in the area. The victim sustained gunshot wounds to both thighs, an arm and his face, as reported by CBS 58.
Carjacking Days Before The Shooting
The complaint states that three days before the shooting, on Dec. 21, the same victim arranged to meet someone he knew as "Monti" near 21st and Juneau. At that meeting, Love and two men allegedly got into his car, pointed guns at him and demanded money. Prosecutors say the group forced the victim to send a $2,000 Cash App transfer, took about $100 in cash and ordered him to drive them to an alley near 20th and Highland before ultimately leaving him at his home. The victim's grandmother's car, which he had been driving, was later found abandoned near 24th and Vliet. Items taken during the incident included cash, a Rolex and sunglasses, according to FOX6 Milwaukee.
Trail Of Evidence And Arrests
Investigators tracked the victim's vehicle and identified Love, who was arrested on Jan. 3, according to the complaint. A search of a residence turned up a rifle under a bed that prosecutors say ballistics testing "correlated" to six of the shell casings from the shooting scene. Detectives also searched a Potomac Avenue home, where they reported finding two guns and a large amount of cash. At the barbershop scene, they lifted two fingerprints from the plastic bottle, which they say linked Trammell to the location.
According to the complaint, Love told prosecutors she had the rifle and that she got it from Gatlin because she planned to protect herself. She admitted being at 53rd and Center on Christmas Eve and hearing gunshots but denied seeing who pulled the trigger, as reported by CBS 58.
What The Charges Could Mean
Prosecutors charged Gatlin, Trammell and Love with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, which is tied to Wisconsin's first-degree intentional homicide statute. That offense is a Class A felony that can carry life imprisonment. Under Wisconsin law, an attempt to commit a crime that is punishable by life is prosecuted as a Class B felony and can carry decades in prison at maximum, though sentencing ultimately varies by case. For the statutory text, see Wis. Stat..
All three defendants are presumed innocent as the case works its way through the courts. With bond already set, they are expected to return to court next month while prosecutors continue preparing the case.
